Type wheel setting and locking means and print actuating means in selective printers

ABSTRACT

A printer for printing and issuing tickets has a stereotype roller comprising individual stereotype wheels each connected to a ratchet wheel and each having grooves formed in its periphery. A lever system actuable by a solenoid carries pawls, some of which are operable to rotate individual stereotype wheels in a stepwise manner and some of which are operable to hold the individual stereotype wheels against rotation in either direction. An electrical monitoring circuit de-energizes the solenoid when the stereotype wheels are in preselected printing positions and actuates the printing. To insure that the blank to be printed has reached the printing position, a circuit actuated by the interruption of a light beam in the path of the blank may be added to start the printing process.

United States Patent [191 Robaczek [1111 3,747,517 [4511 July 24,1973

[ TYPE WHEEL SETTING AND LOCKING MEANS AND PRINT ACTUATING MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTERS [75] Inventor: EdwardRobaczek,0bershausen,

Germany [731 Assignee= Mekqneere e e rii sFre Offenbach/ Main, Frankfurter, Germany 22 Filed: May 6, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 140,866

[52] US. Cl 101/93 R, 101/99,101/375 [51] Int. Cl B41] 7/50, B41j 9/00 [58] Field of Search 101/93 C, 93 R, 93 MN, l0l/66, 287, 72, 78, DIG. 15, 95, 99,101, 97, 98

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,148,861 2/1939 Kall 101/93 C X 2,271,914 2/1942 Deane et al.... 101/287 2,720,832 10/1955 Luning 101/93 C 2,796,830 10/1957 Hilton 101/93 C 2,910,935 11/1959 Cignetti... 101/93 C 3,103,878 9/1963 Wetzer 101/93 C Turner 101/79 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey AttorneyMcDougall, Hersh & Scott [57] ABSTRACT A printer for printing and issuing tickets has a stereotype roller comprising individual stereotype wheels each connected to a ratchet wheel and each having grooves formed in its periphery. A lever system actuable by a solenoid carries pawls, some of which are 0perable to rotate individual stereotype wheels in a stepwise manner and some of which are operable to hold the individual stereotype wheels against rotation in either direction. An electrical monitoring circuit deenergizes the solenoid when the stereotype wheels are in preselected printing positions and actuates the print- I ing. To insure that the blank to be printed has reached the printing position, a circuit actuated by the interruption of a light beam in the path of the blank may be added to start the printing process.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing; Figures Schierbeek 101/93 C i SHEU 1 OF 2 I all "u,

mmmm:

Inventor.-

M ww J my W/ w W PATENIEBJULZMBIS SHEET 2 (IF 2 TYPE WHEEL SETTING AND LOCKING MEANS AND PRINT ACTUATING MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTERS The invention relates to printers, for printing and issuing tickets.

Price printers are known which have stereotype rollers on a printing drum, individual stereotype wheels being adjusted purely mechanically by means of a special transmission gear (German Pat. Specification No. 900 885) or by means of milled discs which are connected to respective stereotype wheels by concentrically mounted hollow shafts and which are located on the same axis (Swiss Pat. Specification No. 457,518).

Thus, these price printers cannot be combined with an electrical control circuit which switches off the drive mechanism to the stereotype wheels when a preselected price coincides with the actual printing positions of the individual stereotype wheels. Owing to this limitation to a mechanical control device, it takes a very long time for the printer to be brought into a desired printing position. The throughput of tickets is consequently small. Furthermore, these price printers do not adequately ensure that the price is acurately printed, since, due to mechanical faults or wear, a stereotype may not be brought into the exact printing position, thus resulting in a defective impression. Furthermore, these price printers do not have automatic monitoring devices which ensure conformity between the selected price and the printed price.

Other known ticket printers (German Specification No. 468 530, British Specification No. 883 680) are very complicated in their structure or are not secured against the fact that the printing roll is unintendedly rotated further or at least shifted for example during the printing process (Swiss Specification No. 445 168 and East German Specification No. 31 556).

The present invention seeks to provide an automatic price printer which ensures an accurate impression of the price on a blank, operates rapidly, and which prints different prices on a large number of blanks in a predetermined unit of time. Furthermore, it is to be ensured that the preselected price conforms to the price actually printed.

According to the present invention, there is provided a printer for printing and issuing tickets, which printer has a stereotype roller which comprises individual stereotype wheels each rigidly connected to a ratchet wheel and each being movable in a stepwise manner, a lever system actuable by a solenoid and having pawls operable to lock the stereotype wheels, an electrical monitoring circuit adapted to interrupt solenoid actuation when a stereotype wheel reaches a preselected printing position and a stamp to effect printing.

A printer constructed in accordance with the invention renders possible accurate printing adjustment ofa stereotype corresponding to a preselected position, an adjustment which is fixed on both directions of rotation of the stereotype wheels and ensures a good impression. The printer operates automatically and can print a large number of blanks with different indicia in a short time. An automatic price printer constructed in accordance with the invention is particularly useful wherever a large number of stamps, tickets or other blanks marked with different prices are to be issued during the day or at night, for example tickets for public transport of all kinds, tickets of admission, meal tickets for canteens etc.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a plurality of stereotypes are arranged at equal dstances apart on the periphery of each stereotype wheel. The edge of each wheel has grooves corresponding to the positions of the stereotypes. The position of each stereotype wheel is fixed by two pawls which are arranged on an intermediate lever of the lever system and which alternately engage into the grooves. By means of this arrangement, rotation of the stereotype wheels can be terminated or blocked at the correct instant, i.e., when a stereotype is in its correct position, and the position of the stereotype wheels can be secured against rotation when the solenoid is actuated. This enables an accurate and good impression to be made in a simple and effective manner.

Advantageously, a stereotype roller has a plurality of streotype wheels which may be movable individually or in groups in order to be able to print the largest possible number of different prices automatically.

In accordance with the invention, a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the printer resides in securing the stereotype wheels against reverse rotation by lock pawls. This provides a simple and operationally reliable control and a corresponding device which monitors the position of the stereotype wheels by way of sliding contacts and by way of contact plates of an electrical control circuit which are arranged in a circle in conformity with the positions of the wheel may be provided. Preventing the stereotype wheels from rotating in the reverse direction, and also in the forward direction when in the printing position, also prevents the stereotype wheels from rotating back and forth, which could lead to imperfect contact between the sliding contacts and the contact plates, thus interfering with the electrical signal which indicates the positions reached by the stereotype wheels.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a light beam which is interrupted by a blank when its printing position is reached, whereupon the solenoid is actuated by a pulse generator. This method of triggering is inertialess and thus rapid and operationally reliable.

Advantageously, the electrical control circuit energizes an impact magnet when the stereotype wheels have reached the preselected printing position and the stamp moves to press the blank and anink ribbon locatedbetween the blank and the stereotype against the selected stereotype. The ink ribbon is stepped-on after each printing operation. This construct on of the printer is simple, effective, and also ensures that the price is printed accurately.

The invention is further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a section through a price printer constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a stereotype roller having a plurality of stereotype wheels;

FIG. 3 is a perspective vieew of a stereotype wheel; and

FIG. 4 shows a part of a monitoring circuit.

In the price printer 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, an original such as a ticket 2 is inserted into the printer 1 at position 3 and gripped by a conveyor roller 4, which is driven by a roller 5 in a manner not shown, and a counter-roller 6, all rollers mounted in a way not shown to a frame 47, and conveyed further towards the right. The ticket 2 is brought into the printing position by means of guide plates 7 mounted to the frame 47 and centering roller 8 and 9, the ticket being guided by means of centering rollers 10 and 11, rollers 8, 9, l0 and 11 rotatingly mounted to the frame 47. The right hand end of the ticket interrupts a light barrier 12 attached to the frame 47 when the ticket has reached the printing position. Consequently, a solenoid 13 receives impulses by way of an electrical circuit (not illustrated) and transmits the impulses to a lever 15 which is hinged at 14 to frame 47. A first intermediate lever 16 is hinged to the lever 15 and is pivoted to a-second inter mediate lever 18 at 17. Thelever 18 pivots about a pivot 19 fixed to the frame 47 and is connected to a pawl 21 at 20. The pawl 21 engages a ratchet wheel 22 pivoted to the frame 47 and is maintained under tension by means of a spring 23 arranged between a fixed point 24 on the frame 47 and the pawl 21. The ratchet wheel 22 is rigidly connected to a stereotype wheel 25 whose edge 26 is provided with grooves 27 into which engage pawls 28 and 29 forming part of the intermediate lever 18. The lever 18 acts with its pawls 28 and 29 in the same manner as the escapement of a watch. A lock pawl 30 which engages the ratchet wheel 22 is fixedly hinged at 31 to the frame 47 and is maintained under tension by means of a spring 32.

In order to follow the manner in which the stepwise rotary movement of the stereotype wheel takes place, the lever system is first of all assumed to be in the position illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 1. The solenoid 13 is energized in order to rotate the stereotype wheel 25. The lever 15 consequently moves upwardly. The second intermediate lever 18 is displaced to the left by way of the first intermediate lever 16. The pawl 28 leaves the groove 33. The pawl 21 turns the ratchet wheel 22 and thus the stereotype wheel 25 until the pawl 29 engages into the groove 34 and the entire lever system assumes the position illustrated by broken lines. The solenoid 13 drops again and the lever system returns to the position illustrated by solid lines. The pawl 28 engages into the groove 35 and the pawl 29 moves out of the groove 34. The stereotype wheel is now secured against rotating in either direction, i.e., it is secured against forward movement by means of the pawl 28 and against reverse, movement by means of the lock pawl 30. Each position of the stereotype wheel 25 is monitored by an electrical control circuit (not illustrated) by way of a sliding contact 36 (see also FIG. 2, and 4), and contacts plates 37 which, correspondingly spatially to the individual stereotypes 38, are arranged in a circle on a plate 46 rigidly mounted to the frame 47. The electrical control circuit may be constructed from known components and receives information concerning the preselected price. If the previously programmed signals correspond to the signals coming from the stereotype wheel 25, the stereotype wheel 25 has reached its printing position and the solenoid is arrested. An impulse is imparted to an impact magnet 39 mounted to the frame simultaneously with this stop signal or shortly afterwards. This causes a stamp 40 connected with the magnet 39 to move rapidly upwardly and press the ticket 2 and an ink ribbon 41 against the stereotype 38. The ink ribbon is stepped-on after each upward movement of the stamp.

FIG. 2 shows a stereotype roller 42 on which a plurality of stereotype wheels 43, 44 and 45 are arranged.

Each stereotype wheel may be brought individually into a preselected printing position by a solenoid and a lever system in the manner described above. For example, the right hand stereotype wheel 45 prints amounts of 10 cents between 10 and cents, the center wheel 44 prints amounts of 1 dollar between $1 and $9, and the left hand wheel 43 prints amounts of l0 dollars between $l0 and $90. By combination, prices ranging from at least 10 cents to $99.90 may be printed in increments of 10 cents by means of these stereotype wheels, and the range may be increased to $999.90 or more by adding one or more stereotype wheels. However, one wheel may be provided with, for example, 12 different specific prices which have to be paid for much frequented routes. The stereotype wheels will be selected in accordance with the special purposes for which the automatic machine is to be used. The sliding contacts 36, when in any position, are in contact with a corresponding contact plate 37 on the plastics plate 46. Consequently, the position of the stereotype wheel 25 is monitored by the control circuit by means of an electrical signal.

For the purpose of illustration and more detailed explanation, FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the stereotype wheel 25 which is used in the price printer constructed in accordance with FIG. 1. The ratchet wheel 22 is rigidly connected to the stereotype wheel 25 on which are provided stereotypes 38 and grooves 27.

FIG. 4 shows an advantageous arrangement of a part of a monitoring circuit which is printed on a plastics material plate. A specific position of the stereotype wheel is associated with each contact plate 37.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of arrangement, construction and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A ticket printer having at least one stereotype wheel mounted for rotational movement with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart pawl receiving grooves associated therewith, a ratchet wheel for each stereotype wheel mounted for rotational movement therewith, a blocking pawl mounted for rocking movement in the direction toward and away from the grooves to permit rotational movement of the wheel in one direction while blocking the wheel against movement in the opposite direction, a swinging lever having spaced pawls in position to engage said pawl receiving grooves and mounted for swinging movement between resting position with one pawl in engagement with one of said grooves to prevent movement of the wheel in said one direction while the other pawl is free of said grooves and pushing position with the other pawl in engagement with one of said grooves while the one is free of said grooves, an actuating p'awl pivotally mounted on the swinging lever in position to engage the grooves to effect rotational movement of the ratchet wheel in said one direction responsive to movement of the swinging lever from resting to pushing position, and actuating means operatively connected to said swinging lever for swinging movement thereof between resting and swingmg position.

2. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes means resiliently urging the blocking pawl for rocking movmeent in the direction towards the ratchet wheel for resilient engagement to permit rotational movement of the ratchet wheel in one direction while locking the wheel against movement in the opposite direction.

3. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes means resiliently urging the actuating pawl in the direction towards the ratchet wheel for constant engagement with the ratchet wheel.

4. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 in which the pawl receiving grooves are in the periphery of the stereotype wheel.

5. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 in which the actuating means comprises a solenoid and the operative connection between the solenoid and the swinging lever comprises one lever pivoted for rocking movement and an operative connection between the solenoid and lever for rocking movement of the lever responsive to operation of the solenoid, another linking lever pivotally connected at one end to the one lever and at the other end to the swinging lever at a point offset from its pivot.

6. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes a sliding contact elastically mounted to the stereotype wheel and a plurality of contact plates arranged in a circle and mounted on a flat plastic member at positions corresponding to the positions of stereotypes on said stereotype wheel, said plastic member rigidly connected with the frame in such a way as to allow the sliding contact to touch one of said plurality of contact plates at each position of the stereotype wheel, thereby providing electrical connections to control the solenoid.

7. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes a stamp mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction toward and away from the stereotype wheel between actuated and retracted positions, an ink ribbon between the periphery of the stereotype wheel and the stamp, and actuating means responsive to positioning of the stereotype wheel to a preselected position for displacement of the stamp to actuated position to effect printing of a ticket disposed between the inking ribbon and the stereotype wheel.

8. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 7 which includes means for advancing a ticket blank to printing position between the stereotype wheel and the inking ribbon.

9. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 7 which includes means responsive to movement of the ticket blank to printing position for initiating operation of the actuating means.

10. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 9 in which the means comprises a light beam in the path of the blank to be printed and means generating a signal in response to interruption of the light beam by the blank for initiating operation of the said actuating means. 

1. A ticket printer having at least one stereotype wheel mounted for rotational movement with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart pawl receiving grooves associated therewith, a ratchet wheel for each stereotype wheel mounted for rotational movement therewith, a blocking pawl mounted for rocking movement in the direction toward and away from the grooves to permit rotational movement of the wheel in one direction while blocking the wheel against movement in the opposite direction, a swinging lever having spaced pawls in position to engage said pawl receiving grooves and mounted for swinging movement between resting position with one pawl in engagement with one of said grooves to prevent movement of the wheel in said one direction while the other pawl is free of said grooves and pushing position with the other pawl in engagement with one of said grooves while the one is free of said grooves, an actuating pawl pivotally mounted on the swinging lever in position to engage the grooves to effect rotational movement of the ratchet wheel in said one direction responsive to movement of the swinging lever from resting to pushing position, and actuating means operatively connected to said swinging lever for swinging movement thereof between resting and swinging position.
 2. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes means resiliently urging the blocking pawl for rocking movmeent in the direction towards the ratchet wheel for resilient engagement to permit rotational movement of the ratchet wheel in one direction while locking the wheel against movement in the opposite direction.
 3. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes means resiliently urging the actuating pawl in the direction towards the ratchet wheel for constant engagement with the ratchet wheel.
 4. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 in which the pawl receiving grooves are in the periphery of the stereotype wheel.
 5. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 in which the actuating means comprises a solenoid and the operative connection between the solenoid and the swinging lever comprises one lever pivoted for rocking movement and an operative connection between the solenoid and lever foR rocking movement of the lever responsive to operation of the solenoid, another linking lever pivotally connected at one end to the one lever and at the other end to the swinging lever at a point offset from its pivot.
 6. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes a sliding contact elastically mounted to the stereotype wheel and a plurality of contact plates arranged in a circle and mounted on a flat plastic member at positions corresponding to the positions of stereotypes on said stereotype wheel, said plastic member rigidly connected with the frame in such a way as to allow the sliding contact to touch one of said plurality of contact plates at each position of the stereotype wheel, thereby providing electrical connections to control the solenoid.
 7. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 1 which includes a stamp mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction toward and away from the stereotype wheel between actuated and retracted positions, an ink ribbon between the periphery of the stereotype wheel and the stamp, and actuating means responsive to positioning of the stereotype wheel to a preselected position for displacement of the stamp to actuated position to effect printing of a ticket disposed between the inking ribbon and the stereotype wheel.
 8. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 7 which includes means for advancing a ticket blank to printing position between the stereotype wheel and the inking ribbon.
 9. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 7 which includes means responsive to movement of the ticket blank to printing position for initiating operation of the actuating means.
 10. A ticket printer as claimed in claim 9 in which the means comprises a light beam in the path of the blank to be printed and means generating a signal in response to interruption of the light beam by the blank for initiating operation of the said actuating means. 